Stupid Montana
by zinthafan
Summary: After Edward left her in New Moon, Bella moves down to Florida with Renee. 6 yrs. later, she gets a teaching job in Montana, cut away from everyone. On her first day however, she reaquaints herself with someone from her past who she's tried hard to forget
1. Stupid Montana

**Memo: HEY!! I haven't been on in so long! I'm just trying this to see how it works- it won't be a long fic, not longer than 5 chapters IF I get enough people telling me to go on**

**Background: After Edward left in New Moon, Bella moved down south to Florida to live with Renee. She gets a teaching job, six years later in Montana. Unexpectedly, she reaquaints herself with someone she's tried to forget for too long.**

**Bella's View**

* * *

It was just like any other day, an average day at work.

I had moved away from Renee a while ago, living in good 'ole Lincoln, Montana.

It made me delirious to wake up every morning, laughing bitterly at the world. 6 years later, I chose to get a job in sunless, shitty Montana? A stupid teaching job _in Montana_?

Who the hell even lived in Montana?

And no doubt, August 20th. My first day.

6: 45, I turned to look at the_ clock. _Shit, I thought, I was already late.

Swearing, I jumped out of bed, running to the bathroom. I didn't even look at myself, moving right to finding a stick of gum to cover up my breath, and searching through my basket for a ponytail.

Shaking, I grabbed my brush besides my mirror, trying to detangle my hair- trying not to look up. No need to look up, I told myself again, no need to see _it _again.

Throwing on a red sweater- skanky, I knew, but hopefully enough to make the boys leave me alone-, and a quick skirt, I ran out the door, jumping in my newly painted Chevy truck.

_Ha, _I snorted, my eyes turned to the radio, as always...no radio there anymore. No need to remind myself, I knew.

Looking up to adjust my mirror, I gulped. And here, everyday, it was the same picture...a stupid, stupid teenager who was still growing up, getting ready to start worrying about wrinkles in a few years.

A stupid, plain teenager with no boyfriend, no friends, cut off from her family. Who the hell would want a life like that?

Sighing, I started backing up again, there was no point trying to reason with my current predicament. All I had to _do, _I told myself, was build a future. A future _with _someone besides my gold fish.

Good ole' .10 goldfish, I thought, at least _she _still stayed with me.

Trying to avoid thinking about anything, I started driving towards school again. A good 40 minutes away- no doubt, I couldn't even afford the area where I worked- and continued on Highway 93.

Here I was, I considered, a recent University of Miami graduate who had gotten the easy way out of actually becoming something, by choosing to be a teacher. I laughed bitterly, the average expected income of people from my school was up in the 80's and 90's, and here I was working in the 50's and just stopping at a teaching degree?

Renee, once I had moved in with her, taken all necessary precautions to keeping me busy- my mind on _important _things was all that mattered, no doubt. She had enrolled me in Suncoast High, I thought bitterly, the third best public school in the nation, and I was working a stupid teaching job in _Montana?_

She was disappointed when I left her, no doubt, but she understood. She knew how I didn't like it there, how the sun only bothered me, and how after leaving Forks I only preferred dark, gloomy days...

And while I... "SHIT," I swore out loud, my gas tank was empty! Quickly swerving to the side, I fought the urge to cry. I didn't even have signal here. _Stupid Montana, _I choked.

Gulping, I started considering my options:

1: Hitch hike (result: death)

2: Go outside and walk (result: getting fired on my first day)

and

3: Say hello to the stranger standing outside my door

Result:

"Um..." I began uneasily, "Can I help you?"

"Lady," a guy no older than 5 and 20 chuckled,_ "_you're the one who looks in need of help. Don't worry," he held out his hands, laughing at the thought, "I'm a mechanic, and you look new in the area. What's the problem with your car?"

"Um," I started, not caring what Charlie would have thought of this, "I'm kinda out of gas, and really late to work."

"_Gas?_" he chuckled. "I've got tons of extra gas in my car, I'll fill her right up for you," he smiled, moving back to _his _own truck. It looked just like mine.

Amazed, I stared at him in wonderment. I'd always heard of bad stories, some random guy offering to help a lady stuck on the highway...the lady being found weeks later, scattered in the woods. But I really didn't care, he could have done whatever, and no one in this blasted area would even care.

Besides, he looked honest too- not dashing no, notlike_ him_, I shuddered, but definitely not bad.

"Hey," I heard myself squeak while he was filling my gas tank, "how can I pay you back for this? Gas is like at 5 a gallon, and you're like filling my tank to the top," I smiled uneasily, "I-"

"One sec," he muttered from behind, holding up a finger. "All done."

Putting the jug back in his car, I watched him flex...wow..., and then watched him walk back to my window. "Well," he shrugged, walking back, "if you could let me take you out tomorrow night, a dinner and a movie Miss- I'm not asking much-, consider us repaid."

_Mike, _shit, I thought, another Mike. Just as I was about to refuse, _he_ suddenly reappeared in my thoughts. I wouldn't let him control my life, I shuddered, his face trying to emerge in my memory...

"I'd love to," I tried smiling, grabbing a pen from my dashboard, and scribbling my number & address on his hand. "Thanks, Mr..."

"Harvey," he finished, "Harvey Dent. And you are?"

"A woman on the run," I shrugged, laughing, and took off. At least _that _was true.

Once my engine started up, I laughed and waved back. All of a sudden, I really didn't know how, I was suddenly at ease. You know? When you feel like screwing yourself over and over again, and then some random stranger smiles at you, and asks you how you're doing? And then you feel like you're just a little kid again?

He had _that _type of smile.

Within 15 minutes, I was giggling, not knowing what had taken over me. Here I was, arriving 40 minutes late to a class which _I _taught, with a bunch of stuck up juniors and sophomores, and 5 minutes left until the bell rang.

And I was laughing. Shit, I thought, _someone asking me out had _this _kind of effect?_

Shrugging, I grabbed my briefcase from my car, and walked in, entering room 201 on the left side. Looking up, I sighed, thanking God my boss wasn't here, and the kids were talking quietly with each other- too tired on their first day of school.

"Sorry I'm late," I said loudly, stepping into the room. "It won't happen again," _hopefully,_ I thought," I'm Ms. Swan, and you're all enrolled in Biology 101. This is a two semester class," I continued, looking through my briefcase for papers to pass out, "and I do plan on teaching you a hell lot of stuff," I laughed, starting to pass out the intro to the class. "Questions?"

"Yeah," one kid said, raising his hand. "You look new Hon, mind if I show you around?"

I laughed, remembering how we'd reviewed this question in college all the time. "Sorry dear, I'm taken," and smiled brilliantly at him. "Any other questions?"

"Yeah," a quiet voice chimed from the back, "by who?"

Stuttering, I looked up. _Emmett. _

_Emmett Cullen._

The bell rang.

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**Note: REVIEW!! or, this'll just be a oneshot.**


	2. I want you

**Memo: OHMIGOSH. Lol, I adore you guys!**

**2x length of last chapter btw **

**Reviewers from Last time:**

**Background: After Edward left Bella in New Moon, she moved down with Renee. 6 years later, she takes up a teaching job in Montana. After her car stops on the road, a man named Harvey Dent helps her out- and asks her out, which she accepts. Getting to class, she meets her new student Emmett Cullen.**

**Bella's View**

* * *

I gulped, watching him exit the room. No doubt, Edward already knew.

"_Did they pick this school on purpose?" _I muttered to myself, shuffling papers. "Didn't he even _bother _to check his instructors list?" I continued ranting.

Frantically, I pulled out a class roster from my brief case and scanned down the names...

_Joseph..Horgton...Xu...Lee_

I went through second hour, third hour..not caring that the bell was about to ring. No Cullen, I breathed in relief. No Cullen.

"_Hey Miss_," a guy hollered, "before class starts up- because I know you're new and all- I just wanted to offer you know, to show you around. Around school, around town...you name it," he finished. I looked up, startled.

The class snickered.

"Don't worry," he continued, "I'm legit." They started howling then...

"Your name?" I asked, batting my eyelashes. Might as well distract myself some way- I figured. I remembered using this one on Jake so well...the thought of him made me cringe. The topic we had discussed made me shake even more.

"You cold Sweetie? You want me to warm you up? My vans right next to the school..." he trailed. The class hooted. "Scott Thomson by the way," he pecked in the air, "at your service."

"Well Scott," I smiled sweetly, "would you mind staying after with me for lunch? I think we're going to have a _grand _time!"

"Um..." he started, "it was just a joke Ma'am. My mother _warned _me," his pace started up, "about predators like you wanting boys like me. You-" Snickering inside, I let my face open up in confusion as he jumped up, and pointed accusingly "don't like people your own age and go to your _students," _he hollered, "when my mother hears about this she's gonna..."

"Remember Scott?" I cut in sweetly. "You're legit!" I sparked up, my eyes twinkling.

It had been years no doubt, but I _had _learned how to smile again. Jake had taught me...I remembered, right before I had left...but no doubt, it didn't mean the smile was genuine.

"I..." he started stuttering, "Ma'am, you're too old for me, I-" the class _really _started howling then, their faces moving between mine and his, as he sat back down.

I just started laughing then.

"Nice to meet you all," I laughed, "I'm Bella Swan- Ms. Swan to you all, and this is Biology 101. What you're all observing right now," I chirped, "is a classic example of the most _used _aspect of biology- horomones. Horomones," I continued, watching their eyes look up in wonderment at what type of teacher they had gotten, "are not _only _used to develop and mature your body- but they're also what attracts you, physically at least, towards others. Now, Scott is the typical example of a teenage boy who has developed a crush on an older woman. What do you guys think we should do to Scott to cure him of this?" I asked, looking around for suggestions.

Immediately, I watched the hands of boys fly up, some of a girls brave enough to raise their own too. Laughing, I picked out a girl in the second row.

"Your name?" I asked first.

"Marie."

"Now Marie, what did you think should happen to Scott?"

"Well Ms. Swan," she giggled, unable to control her idea, "I think Scott should have to date old Grannies because he's legit so he can cure himself of the idea so that-"

I cut her short, putting my hand up- there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," I laughed, making myself comfortable on my seat.

Slowly- but too quick for me- I saw the handle turn, and immediately turned my seat around- not wanting to see whoever was at the door.

"Ms. Swan," a much too familiar voice danced, "the Principal would like to see you in his office right now. He said he-"

"It's all right," I gulped, trying to keep my voice calm. I wondered how my heart must sound to him right now...

"- said that you have to come with me," he finished, still standing there.

"I can take myself there," I said, clutching the arm rests- knowing them to be my only support. "Tell Mr. Boratz that I'll be there within 10 minutes, I'm in the middle of a lesson after all."

"He-," the voice interjected urgently- the velvet sound reminding me of my own days in highschool when I wanted to be excused...

"-can wait," I finished for him coldly. "Thank you, but now please get back to class."

I waited until I heard his footsteps go back down the hall.

Mr. Boratz could have _called, _I figured. Actually, I remembered him commenting on how he'd _never _disturb a class, unless another 9/11 happened.

"Open your notebooks," I strained, not wanting to let the class see my tear-stricken face. "An essay on where hormones are in the body, how they're produced, and it's three primary effects are due next class. Minimum 500 words."

Hearing groans from behind me, I let out my own groan, knowing he'd be outside- waiting for me. And the class would be expecting me to leave shortly anyhow...

And the memories- the ones I had kept hidden for so long began to resurface...

_I remembered seeing him for the first time..._

"_That's Edward, he's gorgeous of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date."_

_...hearing his warnings_

"_But I'm warning you now, I'm not a good friend for you."_

_his explanation_

"_I care the most, because if I can do it- if leaving is the right thing to do, then I'll hurt myself to keep from hurting you, to keep you safe."_

_his confession..._

"_Bella, I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you. ...it would be unendurable. You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever."_

_his request..._

"_Come for a walk with me."_

_the truth..._

"_Bella, I don't want you to come with me...I've let this go on for much too long...You're not good for me."_

_and at last, his promise_

"_I promise that this will be the last time you'll see me. ..It will be as if I'd never existed."_

"Ms. Swan," I heard a girl say, snapping me back into reality, "are you all right?"

"Yeah," I said, laughing. _Ha, _I mused to myself, _6 years, and yet, still the same, bitter, resentment. "_Keep working."

I couldn't believe he had the nerve to show his face in front of me...and then try to lure me into talking with him after so long. Angry that I'd start crying soon- and that he'd know it if I did, I tried switching my emotions back to Harvey.

And I still couldn't believe I'd accepted his date request so easily...and I didn't even know him. I was in some weird city in the middle of nowhere, in stupid Montana, and I was letting some guy I didn't even know take me out.

Carefully checking to see if I still looked all right with my mirror, I decided to have some fun with Edward. I knew he'd be waiting, anxiously outside. Wanting to break my heart again, I thought bitterly. "Hey, take a break for a minute," I said, swivelling around in my seat. "Does anyone here know Harvey Dent?"

Some kids nodded their head, Scott among them. Considering he was the only name I knew, I called on him.

"That's my brother," Scott muttered, ruffling his hair. "Why, did he ask you out or something?"

"Is your brother a player?" I laughed out loud, pleased to hear how nice my voice sounded. Of course, it didn't feel that way. Years of hiding what you felt inside made it easy to pull of such a charade, even if the object you strove for was right in front of you.

"He...he likes girls,"Scott admitted, smiling. "But he's nice and all, fixes my bike whenever I break it."

"Do you break it often?" I asked, grinning. I watched him nod sheepishly, but still wanted to make sure that I wouldn't get screwed over in my giddiness later.

"Would you mind telling me more about your brother?" I asked, not caring that I was building such a personal relationship with my students. As long as they finished the essay correctly, state requirements for the next two weeks would be completed. That, and if Obama became president, I'd be one of few teachers actually allowed to teach here.

"Um..."Scott started off, "he gets kinda annoying sometimes, forgets to flush the toilet more than I do, his breath kinda smells in the morning; he likes to lick-"

"_Scott," _the girl next to him interjected, "I don't think she wants to know about your brother's hygenic problems. I think she's asking more for his _personality._" I laughed, but let her continue. "Well Ms. Swan, her brother's pretty cool. He fixes our cars pretty good all the time, and for a lot cheaper than other people do. How old is he anyway?" she asked, looking at Scott.

"23," he grinned, "probably the same age as our Ms. Swan here." I glared at him, but was happy that I didn't look in my late 20's anymore...which was, accordingly, what people used to believe after Edward had first left me.

"Tell us about yourself Ms. Swan," the same girl who had just told me about Harvey, said.

"What's your name first?" I forced myself to laugh, wanting for Edward to hear all of this.

"Allison, but I just go by Alice," she replied, a small grin on her lips. I pursed my lips in response, knowing that I'd have to face the _other _Alice later.

"All right Alice," I sighed, stumbling over her name. "I graduated from University of Miami- great school by the way, if you guys ever want to go there-, and I didn't bother continuing my education after that. Might get back to it later though, after I get enough money to _attend _graduate school. What else do you guys want to know?"

A black hand raised up in the back, before I even finished my question. I nodded towards his direction. "Are you going out with Scott's brother?" he asked, his eyes dancing with delight.

Oh Edward, I sighed inwardly at the thought, how happy you must be that I'm with someone else now...

I nodded.

Actually, I didn't like this discussion anymore. Because it had reminded me that I was torturing _myself, _that _he _didn't care about me, and although he might have for a little bit, those feelings were long gone.

I started getting mad at myself. Why did I want to go back to what I used to be, after he had left me?

My new life, I wanted to convince myself, was going to be a hoard of unexplored, stupid ideas I wouldn't have done before. And going out with Harvey would definitely qualify.

I was the only one getting hurt in this situation.

"All right," I exhaled inwardly. "Back to biology. How much do you guys have down?"

"A few sentences," one of the kids in the front admitted. "That's gotta be like 80 words though at least."

"Do you guys have any idea what you're even writing about?" I asked.

"Not really," the guy shook his head. "The textbook doesn't really help that much either."

"Oh yes," I snorted, "high school students are so innocent that they're _definitely _going to get their answers from books nowadays, _totally _ignoring all the essays already written on this topic on the internet."

The shrugged shyly. I could tell that I had just ruined their plans.

"If it makes you feel better," I remarked, "while there _are _essays of this on the internet, I've already read the few I could find. I'd know if you were copyrighting."

Some of them glared at me.

"In fact," I continued, still somewhat mad thinking about Edward, "Most of the things I'm going to assign you will be hard to copy off the internet, because we learn how to give students assignments nowadays, that they can't just fraud anymore."

A chinese girl raised her hand in the back. I let her talk

"None of our other teachers have ever told us that before," she suggested timidly, uncomfortable with my words.

"And yet," I raised my eyebrow at her, "few of them are as certified as I am, or even as taught."

Going to U of M certainly _did _have its perks.

"You're _white _though," she pointed out, a bit awestruck I could say such a thing after just graduating college. Obviously, I realized, she must be first in her class. None of the other students must even be close.

"White people are just as good as the Chinese dear," I smiled uneasily.

"I'm Korean," she corrected, sounding a bit irked. "And didn't Mr. Boratz ask for you a while ago?"

And just like that, she had gotten on my bad list. Because no doubt, she had reminded me _that _he was still outside.

"Class dismissed," I muttered, "but not to leave before the bell rings." There were only 8 minutes left anyway.

Getting up out of my seat, I grabbed my purse as I started to leave.

What could he possibly want? I wondered.

Nearing the building's exit, I quickly made sure I was composed before stepping outside.

"How long have you been here?" he asked, being the first thing I saw as the windowless doors swung open.

I fought the urge to curse, thinking before that I'd at least have time to walk to my car before seeing him. Avoiding looking at him, I took a few more steps to where he was at. He must have been desperate.

"What do you want?" I asked, getting right to the point, holding my bag in front of my protectively.

"How long have you been going out with him?" He asked, sounding anxious, his angelic voice still crystal clear. I fought the urge to look at his face, making sure my head was turned.

"_What _do you want?" I asked again, acidly. I didn't have time to play with his stupid questions. He'd already heard my classroom discussion. He'd already intruded upon my face, watching through other's thoughts.

But then again, I shrugged inside, he didn't even care for me. I don't know why I thought he'd be doing something stupid like that. I started turning back inside...

"_Wait," _he cried, "let me explain. Just give me a chance. Let me take you out tonight."

Whoa...I thought, getting distracted, asked out twice in the same day.

I continued walking, turning the handle.

"Bella," he cried out, anxious. "I came _back _for you! I swear."

My hand froze. He continued.

"Charlie said you had left for Renee's, that he didn't think you were coming back. It was after Alice said she saw you jumping in a vision, Bella. I thought you were dead, and I couldn't live with myself because of it- I even went to the Volturi, remember? I told you about them. I wanted you-"

"-Stop," I interrupted him, "Good bye Edward."

...I didn't care if he could hear me, my heavy breathing, my heart thumping. _He _was the one who had left _me. He _had told me that he _didn't _want me, and now he was changing his story up after so long? After I had finally decided to move past...finally accepted a date after so long?

And I didn't care anymore, didn't care about him. Here I was! I laughed painfully, trying to pull the same cycle _all _over again, because once wasn't enough for him!

_He _had told me he didn't want me, and now he was trying to change it all up again?

Play with the stupid _human, _experiment with his analogy to heroin again?

What was his _problem? _

And why did I, of all people, still care?

Shaking my head, I saw Scott at the drinking fountain. Rolling my eyes, I walked towards him.

"Tell your brother to pick me up after school," I told him, "I don't have his number."

"You don't think that's a bit fast?" he asked, his height towering over mine.

I didn't care, I knew I was getting too personal with the students too fast. At least now I knew why female teachers rarely left their classrooms. They were too scared to be beaten up by the boys.

Oh well.

"Is that a yes?" I asked, exasperated. I didn't want to face Edward again, or even Alice for that matter.

"Allright," he shrugged, walking away.

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